KEVIN Bond is urging Cherries’ owners and prospective new investors to keep faith with managerial find Eddie Howe.

Bond tipped Howe to keep Cherries in the Football League following his appointment to the Dean Court hot-seat in January.

Handed his first coaching role by Bond in 2007, the 31-year-old this week guided Cherries out of the League Two drop zone for the first time this season.

And as speculation intensifies that the club could be on the verge of another takeover, Bond insists there would be no need for a change of manager.

Bond, now Harry Redknapp’s assistant at Spurs, told the Daily Echo: “At this moment in time, Eddie is the best person for Bournemouth for the foreseeable future. He is perfect for them and they are perfect for him.

“I’ve heard the club could be taken over by somebody and I only hope nobody comes in with any ridiculous ideas to replace him.

“You never really know how someone is going to cope with the job but Eddie is the type of person who will cope with the pressure.

“He is going to experience a different kind of pressure now because the hunter is going to become the hunted.

“Now he has clawed them out of the bottom two, the challenge is to maintain it because the Grimsbys and Chesters are not going to lie down.

“That’s going to be Eddie’s next test. He’s done an unbelievable job to get them out of the relegation zone and now he’s got an equally as difficult job in keeping them out of there.”

Bond was relieved of his post at Dean Court just four games into the season before Howe took over following Jimmy Quinn’s sacking on New Year’s Eve.

And despite losing his first two games in caretaker charge, he has since revived Cherries’ fortunes with five wins in their past nine matches.

Bond added: “It was a great situation for somebody like Eddie, it was almost like a no-lose situation for him. I thought he would be good for the job, not because he’s a friend, but because I thought he would be.

“He’s a very thoughtful and thorough guy and I knew he would get the respect of the players.

“He’s very thorough in his training and preparation and, fortunately, up to this point, that has proved to be successful.

“I wouldn’t want to underestimate the job he’s done because the circumstances have been unbelievably difficult.

“I always felt we had enough ammunition in our locker to stay up. But they have been beset by problems along the way and now Eddie has got an embargo to contend with.

“They were doing it in fits and starts before he got the job and now he’s got them doing it on a consistent basis. He’s got them performing, believing and organised. He’s doing a really good job and long may it continue.”